We were really excited to try this place since it was recommended on TikTok and had strong Yelp reviews. Unfortunately, our experience didn't quite match the hype. The food wasn't our favorite compared to similar restaurants we've tried here in Honolulu. We also ordered the drinks with the teddy bears but never received them. It seemed like the restaurant was pretty busy, so we understand that things can get hectic. That said, we would recommend the shrimp and broccoli, it was definitely the highlight of our meal and really delicious! read more

No. I didn't go because of the frozen tea bear and I will never order a frozen tea bear. One of the few if not the only restaurant in Hawaii serving Hong Kong's Western style food popularized by the bing sutt of the 1950's and 60's. We're talking baked spaghetti casseroles and of course baked pork chop. The baked pork chop, places a lightly soy marinated tender chop atop a bed of rice covered in melted cheese then a generous pour of tomato sauce, enlivened by additional tomatoes and melting onions . Sounds utterly bizarre but it works. Equally head turning but good tasting, baked spaghetti Bolognese. Essentially a casserole of grossly overcooked spaghetti in a slightly sweet meat sauce covered with melted cheese. While it is unclear what makes the "Thai Style Pork Cheek" Thai, it is well flavored and beautifully cooked. Moist, tender, porky goodness with just the right amount of blackened char for bitterness. Aside from missing the crispy fried egg and slices of raw veg on the side, the Indonesian fried rice, AKA Nasi Goreng is pretty close in flavor with the dark colored, sweet caramelized rice. Prices are fiar. Dishes all under $20. No problems with the service. Friendly and efficient. Yes, they offer what we consider more normal Hong Kong style Chinese dishes but why not have some fun and try something different? read more

Friendly and fast service. The shrimp won tons in soup were so delicious! The pork cheeks with bittermelon was so good! Fresh and steaming hot! The iced tea with the bear was the cutest but such a waste that the tea was slurped up before the bear could melt down! Definitely have to stop here again!! read more

Yi Xin Cafe - D03. Hong Kong Style Iced Lemon Tea and pork cheeks bittermelon with rice. - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Great food great service best restaurant can't wait to come back waitress very helpful and deciphering the menu for me.

This hidden gem in Market City gets things done right! Great service, excellent food, and great dining experience. My Mom was craving for fresh, whole, dungeness crab and what place better to get it here than Yi Xin. They can provide it in a number of different ways. The Pork Cheeks are also top notch, nice thai infused lemongrass pork that is so tender, juicy, and melt in your mouth! The garlic shrimp puts many Chinese restaurants to shame. My son loves shrimp and he says this is the best he has had so far. What restaurant gives you gloves and cracking utensils to eat your crab, not many. These folks take your dining experience to another level. Service is quick and friendly and we can't wait to come back again! Prices are very reasonable and go ahead, what are you waiting for, check it out! read more

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The service was fast and friendly and the frozen bear is so cute, mostly for aesthetic reasons, I bit it and it didn't taste like much. The chicken curry was great though, they give you a huge portion. I just love the overall vibe of the restaurant, casual and cozy. I'd come again read more

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Absolutely delicious food, we ordered pork chops and greenbean/eggplant. Can't wait to go back. We talked to several couples waiting for their orders. All were repeat customers and had many recommendations for us. Everyone in the restaurant were so helpful and efficient and so pleasant. read more

We've been to Yi Xin three or four times this past year and have always left impressed by the food and service. The waiters are "exceptionally" helpful and considerate; they are as far removed from the everyday gruff and grumpy waitresses of countless of chop suey houses across Oahu, as gold is to soil. The waiters at Yi Xin actually take "pride" in what they do and the food they serve. We love the pork cheek, egg friend chicken wings, bitter melon with black beans, ong choi, eggplant dishes, and so much more. Each time we visit Yi Xin, we try a new dish and, are always delighted and surprised. Still, it must be stated and 're-stated,' that way beyond the wonderful food, is the courteousness and genuine pride the waiters take upon themselves to make a really exceptional dining experience. They work as a team, no one trying to be better than others, just an amazing restaurant. Their teddy bear drinks are also awesome and very cute. read more

2nd Time here with with the hubby instead. We ordered their beef omelette rice which was ok, their salted duck chicken wings which are amazing and of course had to get their cute Teddy bear milk teas! Cute HK style cafe. Kinda pricey but overall the food is good! read more

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Not Taiwanese nor Singaporean. They all speak Cantonese. Don't order a tofu dish here, not homemade. Ordered Singaporean noodles, cheek appetizer, beef curry. All for US$110. Not authentic. Not worth it. read more

We ate here twice already. Service was good. Food was yummy. We tried a few things. The nexttime we had the pig cheeks. The sauce was really good. The wonton soup was good. I didn't take photos of those items. Oh, beef chow fun was good. Everything was good, but not total greatness. Serving size was also good! I'll eat here many more times. read more

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We had the most amazing dinner last nite: Crab Curry, Honey walnut shrimp, Butter Shrimp, Pork Chop,Ong Choy, Mongolian Beef...all of it was so delicious. We're going back to celebrate Chinese New Year! I recommend it highly...best curry crab we've ever tasted! read more

LOVE THEIR SHRIMP WONTON NOODLE SOUP !!! I also tried the egg yolk fried chicken wings, the prawn chips and the pork cheeks. Everything was delicious especially the WonTon noodle soup. Very eclectic menu ... traditional with fusion. Interesting mix of different tastes. Hong Kong, Italian, Thai ... Lots of Chinese-speaking kupuna (hint hint) patrons when I was eating there. Service was friendly and efficient. GO CHECK THEM OUT !!! read more

Pork Jowl and bitter melon in black bean sauce on rice - not too oily flavorful and just the right amount of black bean flavor. 10/10 Egg yolk wings - I think you get six wingette pieces. One did not taste very good and was not crispy and just oily and did not taste fresh. But the other pieces omg, they were still on the oily side, but they were crispy and so tasty. 9/10 Green beans - beans were perfectly cooked, tender, yet firm. But this lacked in spice and seasoning. 7/10 Prawns HK style - garlicky and tasty but felt like something was missing. Not properly deveined, every prawn's end quarter of tail portion had very thick black entrails, partly under the shell and partly in the split. Would try HK style again, but not on prawns. 6/10 Was able to get table for 2 as walk-in at 6pm. But by 6:30, restaurant was full and line up put the door. Next time make a reso! read more

The place is nice and clean. Very bright too and the servers were friendly. I ordered this baked pork chop rice with cheese. Heard a lot about it in HK dramas but first time trying it. Pretty good for a first time. Not sure how authentic it is compare to ones in HK, but the looks and the flavors were very good. Also ordered this lemon tea with this frozen bear on top. The tea was great too, just the bear feels like more for gimmick since it can take a while for it to melt and blend with the drink. Maybe if it was served in a cup with a slightly bigger mouth so that the bear can melt with the drink as someone enjoy the food might be better than this glass mug. I would definitely come again to try their other food on the menu. Not often we can for a HK style cafe in Hawaii. read more

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Pricey, but worth it. All four dishes we ordered were amazing - garlic prawns, beef chow fun (dry style), salted egg yolk fried chicken wings, and the pork cheek. The food came out fast and the servers were really friendly. We'll be back for sure! read more

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My husband was curious about this eatery since he saw a preview of it on YouTube a few months ago. We live in Waipahu, so it's quite a drive... We happen to be doing errands and decided it was a perfect time to try this place out. We ordered the Pork Cheek dish and the green beans. Both were delicious! I never had pork cheeks, but it was VERY YUMMY! I will definitely have that again! read more

Food was delicious and the service was excellent. We had the sizzling beef, chow fun, Thai pork, and garlic shrimp. Looking forward to coming back for Chili crab! read more

Yi Xin Cafe - Chef's menu special (10/14/2023) - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I was visiting Honolulu, and was in the mood for crab. I found Yi Xin on Yelp and wanted to try their Singapore Chili crab. It's located in a shopping center with several restaurants that seem popular. There was a parking lot and at 7 pm, parking was available. I would highly suggest making a reservation as the restaurant gets crowded. It looks like the restaurant was renovated since the new owners took over. Everything was new & clean. There were quite a few tables, but all were occupied. I invited some family members who live there, but this was their first time trying the new restaurant. Although I wanted to try the Singapore Chili crab, their specialty is the curry crab w/ naan. So, we ordered that, along with the salted egg yolk wings, sizzling beef, garlic green beans, and salt & pepper shrimp. Service was friendly. quick and efficient. They provided us with a bowl for our discards, gloves, crab shell crackers and a slew of needed extra napkins. We enjoyed everything so much that I forgot to take pictures of the other courses. The sizzling beef was tender and had great flavor. The wings came out hot & crispy with a nice aftertaste of the salted egg yolk. Can't go wrong with a freshly fried salt & pepper shrimp & perfectly cooked green beans. The crab was the main attraction though! You know the dish is good when the table becomes silent and all you hear is the cracking of shells and slurping. Everyone enjoyed everything and no food leftover. The only thing we took home was the remaining curry sauce which would go great over some noodles. My relatives thanked me for introducing them to Yi Xin. In fact, my uncle wanted to go again 2 days later to bring some friends, but sadly they were closed on Tuesdays. I'll have to wait till my next visit to try the Singapore Chili Crab and get my Yi Xin fix. read more

Yi Xin Cafe - Curry crab w/ Naan - excellent - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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INSTAGRAM lead me to this gem! Recommendation: call and make a rezzy! The place has few tables and was pippin' on a Thursday night! We ordered: - salted egg fried rice: 8/10 - curry crab: 9/10 - milk tea with the bear: 6/10 - lemon tea with the bear: 9/10 Everything was pretty tasty for the most part. The only thing I wish was that they gave the full body of the crab rather than just the legs and top shell (giving the impression of the whole body). If you're a foodie like me.. you know what gold the whole body of the crab holds :) otherwise, the curry was full of flavor and came with naan bread that was an easy pass. The fried rice was good! I wish they added more salted egg though :) The milk tea was mediocre. It really tasted more like condensed milk than tea. The best is a cute gimmick that I'm not mad at. The lemon tea was perfect, not too sweet and still full of tea flavor! The service was alright. Quick for the most part. I just wish they would've offered crab crackers and gloves before we started eating rather than near the end. No biggie though. I'll probably come back to try another crab dish and their salted egg chicken wings! read more

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I'm so glad I just tried this Chinese restaurant that a friend introduced me to . We didn't eat a typical lunch but splurged for the Ginger Onion crab and the Salt Pepper Shrimp plate ... I haven't ate a crab like this in ages!! It was sooo delicious! It was very tasty and finger licking good . They even offered us disposable gloves as to not dirty your hands but it tasted so much better using your fingers to eat . The Salt pepper shrimp plate was also very good and tasty . The shrimp was delicious and huge!!! It was worth it . They also gave complimentary prawn chips. I liked the ambiance of the place and it was very clean. We went early so it wasn't crowded until later. It seems like a lot of repeat customers. I'm giving them 4 stars because our waitress was nice but constantly forgot out .. fingers bowls ... take out containers... and had to be reminded. I am planning to return as they have over 12 or more ways to prepare the crab ... and want to try other items on the menu that looked good ! I don't mind prices are little high than normal as long as the food taste great ! read more

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Hong Kong Style, Malaysian, Singaporean and Thai influenced food here at Yi Xin Cafe at Market City Shopping Center. You have got to try the salted egg yolk chicken wings, there is nothing like it. Loved that they made the omelette on the soft side. The beef on top reminded me of beef used on a beef broccoli dish and the oyster sauce tied it all together. Kind of curious about their baked spaghetti and might try that next time. read more

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the best is the curry fries and the Crab spicy Malaysian with some Naan Bread the best is the shrimp curry at Yi Xin Cafe read more

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The Thai style pork cheek is sooo good! I love the dipping sauce that comes with it. I also had to get their Hong Kong milk tea with the frozen bear because it is so freaking cute! The food was good, everything came out very quickly! All entrees are also large and shareable so this is the perfect place for a family or friend gathering! read more

Yi Xin Cafe - HK MT - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I was curious to about this new Asian cafe and finally got a chance to try it! First and not the last time. Tbh, Chinese isn't my typical first choice lol. I've indulged in plenty since my dad ALWAYS craves Chinese haha. But I am glad we gave this place a try! It's unlike most Asian style restaurants due to its unique fusion and eclectic menu! You get the flavors of Hong Kong, Malaysian and Singaporean cuisines all in one! It's like I get a little bit of Traditional Chinese + mixed modern comfort food! What we ordered: Salted egg yolk chicken wings ($14.95) 10/10- it is eggcellent. Lol. Don't be a chicken and wing it. I know it sounds strange and out of your comfort zone but these wings were perfection. Super seasoned and tasty- perfectly fried and crispy on the outside and moist juicy meat on the inside. Not too salty either! Thai style pork cheek ($14.95) It's to "Thai" for lol. Sooo tasty. Kinda like you're getting k bbq pork jowl, except you get a umami spicy, sweet, and savory sauce that you can DIP it in. Very tasty. PROTIP ask for it extra fried so it's crispy + juicy + and not so fatty Hong Kong Style Spicy garlic Prawns ($22.95) Baked Meat Sauce with Tonkotsu ($18.95) "Meat" me in comfort heaven lol. It was surprisingly delicious and nostalgic. That semi sweet and savory pasta baked in melty cheesy goodness; topped with crispy comfort pork katsu. (Perfect comfort food) Ong Choy with Sambal Shrimp Paste ($13.95) Tasty greens, cooked well and accompanied w the best sauce. Love me some greens to balance everything out. My friend said the green beans are also winner! House special shrimp fried rice ($17.95) Every fried rice should be made w a wok. You get the Smokey flavor and umami of all the ingredients. And name another dish you'd get over a fried rice lol. Hong Kong Tea with Bear ($6.95) We could bearly fit anything else in our belly but decided to try the tea, cause WHY NOT lol. It was refreshing and the tea was a cute accessory! Will be back! The service was attentive and exceptional. We even got a rose at the end (must have been a holiday special) nonetheless a kind gesture! We were fortunate to have met the owners and they disclosed that they are adding dessert to the menu! Be on the look out for a honey toast that oozes out condensed milk. DROOL. On top of others that I won't give away just yet lol Pro-tip: come w friends or fam so you can order a variety since it's fam style! BYOB if you wish. (Couldn't tell if they were selling only beer or whatnot. But foodland is nearby if you're in the mood) Ample parking in the Market city lot! Also don't come in Monday since that's the one day they're closed Happy Eating Foodie friends read more

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Welcome to the newly opened Yi Xin Café in the Market City Shopping Center in Kapahulu! Pronounced "e-sin," and taken literally, "yi" means joy or harmony, and "xin" means happy, joyous, delighted. So, this is supposed to be a happy or joyous place to be. Great name for a restaurant! Opened on 3/26/23 by the same family who also owns Sing Ma Tei, Chef Jun Xi Chen oversees the menu offerings at Yi Xin Café. He was born to a restaurateur family in Guangdong, China. In 2012, he had taken a trip to Malaysia and loved the foods there. He attended cooking schools in Malaysia and Singapore to learn their culinary traditions to bring back the knowledge to China and then eventually to HI. Yi Xin Café specializes in Hong Kong, Malaysian, and Singaporean cuisines. Yi Xin Café has a variety of menu offerings, with more dishes in the making: * Appetizers: curry flavored French fries, fried chicken wings w/ shrimp paste or salted egg yolk, Singapore shrimp cracker, Thai style pork cheek. * Baked rice/spaghetti: pork chop, meat sauce, chicken, tonkatsu, beef w/ black pepper. * Noodles: beef chow fun, shrimp won ton in soup, Singapore rice noodles. * Rice plates: beef, teri chicken and tonkatsu omelets; beef broccoli; beef w/ bitter melon; Malyasian beef fried rice; shrimp fried rice w/ salted egg. * Curry and Stir Fry: Hong Kong style curry beef stew, garlic stir-fry prawns, sizzling beef w/ black bean sauce. * Veggies: ong choi or green beans w/ minced meat and sambal shrimp paste. * Drinks: hot or iced milk tea or lemon tea w/ frozen bear, soft drinks. * Sandwiches (coming soon): egg, ham & cheese, spam & egg, peanut butter or butter w/ condensed milk toast, garlic bread. * Singaporean crab (coming soon): chili, curry, black pepper, ham & egg. Waiting for their glass crab water tank to come in. Popular items are the frozen bear iced/milk tea, fried chicken wings, pork cheek, baked spaghetti, garlic fried prawns, and sizzling beef. Note that management has reduced the number of menu offerings since they first opened, as they had a number of different curries, spaghetti, rice plates, fried rice, noodles, veggies. No harm in requesting these items that are not on the current menu; perhaps, they will be offering them when they streamline their operations. And also, planned offerings include sandwiches and curry crab. We ordered the following: * Sizzling beef with black bean sauce. We love sizzling dishes, so this dish was no exception, as it was very delicious and flavorful! Generous portion with lots of beef, bell peppers, and onions being charred as they sizzled on the cast iron platter with the steaming smoke hitting our senses with a delicious aroma. Perfect! * Beef chow fun (dry). Lots of beef, bean sprouts, and green onions stir fried with a flavorful wok hei taste. Perfect! * Hong Kong style iced lemon tea w/ frozen bear. Served in a mason jar, iced tea with four thick slices of lemon and a novelty frozen bear made of the same ice tea. The cute bear sits on its back on top of the glass, and you can put it into your drink upright after it starts melting down. Nice flavor of the iced tea! Staff was friendly and efficient, as we were there when they opened at 10:30a. Customer service was later challenged as all tables were quickly filled, as a waiting line was forming outside and the phone kept ringing and ringing. Hope that they can streamline their efficiency during this soft opening. Taking over the 1,582 sq ft of space that was the former Anytime Café and located next to Café Kaila, the restaurant interior is clean and bright. The rectangular dining area rests along two walls with wooden tables and chairs, and the walls with photos of Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. With its grand opening, the interior front of the restaurant had numerous congratulatory tropical and floral bouquets. There were a number of white and gold maneki neko cats and a bamboo plant for good luck. Hours of operation are Tues to Sun 10:30a to 9p, Mon closed. Free parking in the Market City Shopping Center parking lot; however, the lot fills up quickly as it is shared with other businesses in the shopping complex. We look forward in returning to try their other dishes, as well as their soon-to-be-offered Singaporean chili or curry crab, as it brings back heavenly memories of our Singapore trip as we used our fingers to eat the spicy, sweet and savory crab meat that was so flavorful! Highly recommend Yi Xin Café! read more

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This is authentic Cantonese food that brought back childhood nostalgia. They have typical Hong Kong style noodles, rice dishes, and many ways to order Dungeness Crab. They also have HK style ice tea which was very refreshing. We ordered the Egg and Shrimp Noodles and the Thai style pork cheek. Both were so good and satisfying. I think the pork cheek appetizer here is a must try so don't miss out! The decoration in here is really cute by mimicking the old school Hong Kong scene. Service was quick and efficient. There are ample parking spots in this plaza but it does get busy during peak lunch time hours because the parking lot is shared with many popular restaurants. read more

A Hong Kong, Singaporean and Malaysian restaurant worth adding to your list to check out! Yi Xin Cafe! I came for their Hong Kong iced milk tea with frozen bear! It totally satisfied my sweet cravings while savoring their Hong Kong style garlic stir-fried prawns, beef omelette on rice, and ong choy with sambal shrimp paste. The sweetness and just the right amount of saltiness definitely stirred and danced delightfully in my mouth. I'm definitely coming back to try their salted egg yolk chicken wings and Singaporean curry crab. I was told this must be order 1 day in advance as it goes fast! read more

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$ 35 dollars for half a cold ginger chicken Are you kidding me. No where is charged the kind of money

Menu/language: it looks unprofessional and unauthentic to mix up traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese fonts in the store banners and menus. They need to proofread their written materials. Typos for beef chow fun is not acceptable. Just this alone makes me want to label this restaurant as phony and pretentious especially with nostalgic decor mimicking a Hong Kong style cafe. (As a Hong Kong-er I will gladly help, let me know. I can save your menu but you will have to save your food. ) Food: if you had actual Hong Kong style food, this place is lackluster in terms of flavor. Miles behind other Hong Kong style cafes on island such as kukui cafe for example. Kukui is already expensive nowadays so I am holding this standard of price-food quality for any Hong Kong style cafes on island. baked pork chop over rice: lack flavor, underbaked. Their interpretation for this dish is with added cheese, thin pork chop, and plain rice with frozen carrot/pea mix. This dish is a staple in Hong Kong style cafe but this place doesn't do it right. Won ton noodles: soup tasted watered down. Overcooked noodles lost bounce. No chili oil in house at all. Red flag for a supposed authentic Hong Kong style won ton noodles. Plating looked messy; won tons were only okay. Iced milk tea with bear: complete gimmick. Mason jar was filled with mostly ice, and the bear was basically ice too. Milk tea tasted super watered down. Service: Chinese lady kept taking any seemingly unused utensils from my table and tossed them right back in their prep bins. No chili oil. They made sure to drop the check at the end. That's it. Overall paid a little more than $50 including tip for 3 items. Not worth. read more

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We had to revisit Yi Xin this past week since they weren't offering their crab dishes when we first went in April. Wow, has it been that long already? So, to get to business, the curried crab was the primary reason for our foodie adventure. It was unbelievably yummy! After speaking to the wonderful serving staff, we discovered that Yi Xin makes their own curry. It makes a huge difference in flavor and texture of the curry. OMG, I'd try their curry with any of the dishes on the menu. The set price in December 2023 for curry crab was $72. There's a selection of different types of whole crab preparations ranging between $68 - $75. We also tried a couple of other dishes as recommended on Authenticity Charles via YouTube. Although I absolutely LOVED the thin egg noodles served with the Mapo Tofu, the Mapo Tofu itself lacked the intense and spicy flavor I associate with this dish. Definitely a 5/10 rating. The pork cheek chow fun that Charles raved about looked good on YouTube, but the flavor was bland, keeping in mind that the curried crab was the last dish delivered to our table. What I truly enjoyed was the Beef with black bean sauce and that curry crab! Really worth it, and both dishes were delicious. We'll have to return to try their curry in other dishes. And naturally, we had the teddy bear milk tea. My only disappointment with the teddy bear tea was that because we ordered it without ice, we had to either pay $2 more for our jar to be filled, or take less tea. Seriously? This owner is pinching pennies in the wrong place after we've coughed up more than $70 for a single dish. It's rather disappointing. read more

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Deliciously surprising. First time here. Hubby and I decided to have an early dinner. We arrived around 4:00 pm and the place is surprisingly empty. Located in Market City with free parking is this cute corner gem of a place. I had to try the lemon iced tea w/ the most adorable frozen bear. The tea was light and refreshing and very lemon forward. Loved it. We also got the fried green beans w/ sambal. The beans were seasoned well and still had a crunch to it. The flavors kept me going back for more. It was so good we could just eat that alone. I wanted to have the whole platter to myself. We also tried the beef chow funn. The noodles had the perfect chew w/ just a tad bit of push back that you are looking for. The beef was tender and there was just enough sauce to coat everything. There was a nice amount of sprouts and onions to keep the flavors and crunchiness going. Lastly we tried the salted egg told fried chicken. This was something I wanted to try but didn't know what to expect. The salted egg flavor was nice and light, not overpowering as I thought it may be. The fry on this chicken was magical. They definitely got a winner with this one. Everyone was so polite and attentive. We enjoyed our meal and the service was perfect. I hope more people stop by. It's in the corner opposite foodland in market city right next to where the old Walgreens was located. If you like good fresh tasting food, you'll enjoy this place. read more

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Yi Xin Cafe is the newest restaurant in Market City. The look and food are similar to the previous restaurant, but it has a brighter, more trendy vibe. The menu has many of the most popular Cantonese items like shrimp won ton noodles in soup and shrimp fried rice. But there are also unusual choices like Hong Kong or Singapore style curry, pork chop with tomato sauce and cheese on rice, and meat sauce with tonkatsu on spaghetti. Because we went during its soft opening, we decided to try some of our favorite dishes which we use to compare different restaurants. Ong Choi with sambal shrimp paste. This was more subtle than the usual in your face dose of shrimp paste. There's a bit of extra flavor from the sambal. Salted fish and chicken fried rice. The serving is generous. We like that there were little chunks of chicken, plus peas, and lettuce. I thought there should be a bit more salt fish, but again, it was subtle. Sizzling beef with blackbean sauce. A sizzling plate is always fun. It's like a show with your meal. The flavor was good, and there were three colors of peppers, but we thought the beef was sliced too thin. Fried chicken wings with shrimp paste. Again, the shrimp paste was barely detectable. The wings were perfectly plump and moist on the inside and crunchy, crispy on the outside. Singapore style curry chicken and rice. We were told the Hong Kong style curry is a bit sweeter, so we went with Singapore style. It's very flavorful with lots of chicken. The service was very good. The servers were all very helpful and friendly. Although the place was empty when we got there at 6pm, it was packed by 7pm. It did get hectic and loud. We didn't get a water refill and had to wait for takeout boxes and our check. But, still, we had a nice experience. We will come back and maybe try the salted egg yolk chicken wings or house special shrimp fried rice with salted egg. And, the iced milk tea with frozen bear looked like fun. The frozen bear is actually frozen milk tea molded into a bear shape. There's so much on the menu. We must come back several times! read more

This place had some really good dishes and a couple I didn't exactly like. The walnut shrimp was crispy but just missing some flavor for me. It was a daily special. We ordered the curry crab and it is what they are known for. 74.99 and I don't know I would spend that much on a crab dish. The naan was kind of under done. I like more cooked. The naan did go well with the curry sauce. The curry was made with 30 different spices and was tasty. They give plastic gloves but that was worst as it made my whole glove full of curry. Their other way I could lick my fingers this way it got all over my face. The beef chow fun was yummy. The on choy was ok not going to order this the next time we come. The wonton noodle soup was very good. The owner is super nice and service was awesome. We would come back for canto food. read more

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Finally got to try here after wanting to for months. I would definitely recommend the milk tea with frozen bear, pork cheek, and pork chop rice. Service wise, we got seated right away (at about 12pm lunch time) & our food came out super quick. Ambiance wise, the restaurant itself is clean compared to most Chinese restaurants. Definitely recommend trying this restaurant at least once! read more

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Love the food. Prepared with wonderful flavors and different taste you don't usually get in Honolulu. Somewhat crowded but the wait staff is very friendly. read more

I originally had this place on my vacation bucket list but since it seemed like food I could get just about any place where I live, I removed it. As it happened, I was near and toward the end of my vacation so I stopped in. The place is a little strip mall near Foodland. It is clean with a nice number of tables. The service was great. The food itself was good but I was expecting better based on the reviews. The frozen bear drink was more a marketing gimmick to me more than anything. My daughter had it, but both the iced milk tea and milk tea with coffee were our least favorite drinks during out stay at the island. Regarding the tea drinks, perhaps it's a flavor from the regions that Yi Xin's foods are from and not familiar to the American palate? Vegetarian options are minimal. I will not be back. read more

Disclaimer* I'm a very strict reviewer, 5 star is only reserved for over the top service/goods. Summary: good food, service normal, noisy ambiance, inefficient business process. Great potential but needs improvement. Need improvement: MUST have a proper sign in sheet/ party name list, need more staff for better communication and phone answering. Service: 12 noon on weekend, restaurant is packed. Party ahead of us waiting to be seated by counter, after a short while server A asks how many people. After letting them know how many guests we had, server stated "almost ready, just gotta clean that table". Does not take my name and suggest to have a seat. Another party came in and server B helped them to the table right away that server A stated that almost ready for us. Feeling puzzled, asked a server B if they forgot about us and another party that was also waiting. Server B said "that's a reservation party, did you sign in your name?" Told the server B the initial server did not take my name down and sign in sheet is nowhere to be found. Then she shows a scratch piece of paper with just first name and number next to it and asked to put the name down. How can a guest know that's a sign in sheet if it doesn't even say "sign in sheet" or column with name, and party size indicator, and even hiding behind a counter? Especially if server A does not ask us to write our name and just suggested to sit and wait? Clearly staff and workload ratio is not matching and proper guidelines are not set to prevent miscommunication. Definitely server B started a makeshift sign in sheet that server A was not made aware of. Also place is so busy to the point phone is ringing, but no one can get to it, preventing phone order or reservation. Food: food is good HK style curry: tastes just like Thai style curry with hint of coconut milk and sweet tasting. Beef in a curry is somewhat harder, some were very soft. Personally prefer more rice ratio to curry. Onion was not as soft, and gave onion bitterness when biting in. Personally like it, but if you don't like onion bitterness I'd recommend putting the onion aside. Thai style pork chop: very good, pork is not dry nor too fatty compared to competitors. Dipping sauce has very small hint of spice, won't recommend if you have very low tolerance to spice or kids of young age. Do prefer more lettuce wraps. Within eating half ran out of lettuce. Not bad without it but that lettuce gives good balance with little oily pork chop, giving a refreshing taste. Good amount of dipping sauce. Baked Pork chop with Tomato Sauce: good, expected pork to be dry but good amount of softness. Photo showed slices of tomatoes but was served with grape tomatoes. Tasted fine but if you like certain tomatoes I'd double check with server before ordering. Grape tomatoes were sliced so that when you bite into it, the heated tomato juice will not explode in your mouth. (Won't burn your mouth). Ambiance: narrow build and very noisy. Floor and walls reflect the sound due to flooring and wall style, making it hard to hear your own conversations. If you're looking for good conversation, I'd suggest going during slow times. read more

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For once, I've found a modern Hong Kong Cantonese restaurant that I actually like and would go back to. I'm not a fan of this contemporary style of Chinese food, but Yi Xin Café has a good menu with some nice dishes for all to enjoy. Despite being freshly open still and very busy with people coming to try them out, I was impressed with the friendliness and service by all the staff. Yes, they were very busy, but they had it under control and properly managed. This is rare for a new restaurant that gets a grand opening rush. I decided to go with the House Special Garlic Prawns. This was a very generous dish of fat, fresh, and very tasty prawns. It was cooked perfectly. I shouldn't have, but I finished the whole dish which was enough for multiple people to share. After, I chose to have their Milk Tea to cleanse my palate from all the garlic and prawn flavor. It was excellent. It was a very enjoyable after meal hot beverage and I think a must if you go there. They do claim to offer some Malaysian and Singaporean dishes, but they are Hong Kong Cantonese takes of supposed authentic dishes. Nothing wrong with this, but when I first heard of their opening, I got excited that there would be true dishes from my childhood in Southeast Asia, only to find it was things like Singapore Fried Noodles, which aren't actually Singaporean in origan. All the same, I'm sure the dishes are good based on my dinning experience. I wish this place the best of luck. They have a good menu with excellent food and very nice service. I'll defiantly go back again and maybe even give their Singapore Noodles a try. read more

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Our take-out order was a pleasant experience with tasty dishes and cordial service. The Singapore Noodles and the Shrimp won ton with noodles were delicious and satisfied the tummy. The honey walnut shrimp had a twist of added chips which offered a unique taste - very good! I was unable to try our other ordered plates, but the tonkatsu spaghetti and chicken wings looked delicious. Have to go back to try them and more... read more